Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-06-05
A HORN VOYAGE.


eat lotos for three months and half, to
cross oceans to see Cape Horn, to run
over America-all at a cost equal to
lodgings in Bermondsey for the same
period of time-why, of course. And it
was thus | booked as an interesting in
valid from Liverpool to San Francisco on
an Al full rugged ship of 1900 tons. 1t
is not the ordinary passenger route to
America. 1t really is the route of
the bOlted accountant. the wife ieserter,
the cut throat. the man under a cloud.
and the habitual dipsomaniac. But that
is no reason why it should not be one of
the most enjoyable voyages going.
The Al was youngish ship-j years
old-and, having gone no other voyage
than to San Francisco was guaranteed to
find her way thither of her own accord.
Needless to say, she was full rugged, iron,
and sufficiently manned with thirty
hands. The cabin was handsomely fitted
with velvet covered settees, the captain s
room was a princely little saloon, all over
plush and mahogany, and the passengers
room, right opposite, was neatly equipped
with a bookcase, swinging brass
lamp, an engaging rack, a roomy bunk
forget to mention that musls, geraniums.
roses and fuchsias were blowing in flower
pots in various safe corners-the captain
being bit of a gardener. An outer
cabin was used as an eating room, the
steward and the mates having plain
rooms off it, with windows commanding
the "crowd" Behind the mizzenmast
stood a vast hencoop, with a variety of
weather beaten fowls of both sexes,
whose voices in the early morning gave
a cheerful impression of being in a farm
yard. Away, no end of feet, was 1.-The
house for the apprentices. with a galley
attached and rooms let into it for the
use of such officers as the cook, the sail
maker, the bOatswain, the carpenter and
the lamplghter. Then, under the bow
spirit, large and roomy forecastle for the
men. Between the house and the fore
castle four pigs had suitable residence in
an improvised sty-animals who contrib
uted, as long as they lasted, fair share
to the amenities of the voyage. The Al
was reputed a fast ship, and dry for a
Cape Horner, and we had no sooner got
to the south of Ireland, and begun to ex-
perience one of the prophesied half gales,
twelve knots an hour.
1t is customary TO keep diary
of long voyage; but, having
some experience of the scorn with which
such documents are treated by people
whom they are supposed to interest, l re-
framed. After all, one day is pretty
much like al.other on the broad ocean,
and it is chiefly of those which are dis
similar that l must speak, of incidents
rather than routine.
The first event of any importance was
the appearance, third day out, of seven
ragamutfins, who crept up the hold, tat
tered, hungry, woebegone. An addition
of seven mouths was serious considera-
ton. Would the provisions hold out
with such serious strain on them? How
about the water? And could these Liver
pool street arabs be trusted to fall into
line of work: There they were. anyhow
they couldn' t be dropped overheard, they
would require to be fed; and th1ce seemed
no chance of signaling a ship to take them
home again. The water tanks being ex-
amined however, it was plain that there
would be no lack; so the boys were
brought aft and passed beneath the cap
tain's eye.
AYE, aye; a fine like thing this.
What's your name?"
"Charlie Sales, SIR (blubbering).
"And where are you goin' tor
"Melbourne, sir. 4"
sis this the road to Melbourne, We
blockhead?''
''They told me it was, sir; and I have
an uncle-a carpenter-livin' there
whats his address,"
Il don't know, SIR
"What's your age!"
Fourteen
"Can ye read9"
''Yes. sir.
"Wrte?''
"Yes, sir.
''Have We mother?"
"Nes, sir. :"
"What dye think she'll say?''
passionate outburst of tears and ges-
ticulations.)
'Ilaud yer noise, We saft lump"
Sales was presentable, albeit he was
poorly clad, like Dulwich Murillo bov,
and evidently used to a home life. The
remainder were arabs, pure and simple,
and one of them showed his profession
which they were conducted to the pump,
well scrubbed from head to foot. and
served with pork, biscuits and coffee.
From that time forward they had pretty
much the same rations as the men, and
altogether a good time of it on the AL.
Sales was taken into the cabin as an
assistant to the steward; clothes were
found for him, and he became a useful
boy, though he could never keep his
hands off the sugar. He had an excel
lent voice, and, to the sincere mortifca-
ton of the mate, sang all the latest music
hall songs. He was a source of infinite
laughter and amusement until he got
stale, when one of the pigs took his place
as prime favorite. Still l was grateful to
him for his excellent mimicry of the cap
tain, the passengers and the officers, done
at the galley door during the dog watches,
and the dignity of the cabin end didn't
suffer much.
1t takes no long time to fall into the